Government Shutdown: Who is really being hurt?

Only a few in, and thousands of National Guard members have been furloughed, scientific research has been halted, federal technicians have been forced off the job, and wildlife refuges have been closed.

In Idaho, a rescue mission in search of a missing Boise woman was put on hold because the workers conducting it were furloughed. In Arkansas, more than 85,000 meals for children were endangered because of cuts to nutritional programs. And in Connecticut, 13 Head Start programs serving 320 children were shut down.

Not all of those impacted by the partial closure of the federal government actually work for the federal government.

Michele Sturgeon, a private contractor with the CDC Foundation, was forced to stop her work on rotaviruses and forego a salary because the Center for Disease Control and Prevention supervisor who runs her project was furloughed.

"If my supervisor is not there, there is not work for me to do and I don’t get paid either," she told The Huffington Post. "Being a scientist I don’t get paid that much. I have two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree. I owe in student loans three times what I make. I live paycheck to paycheck. This is not financially stable for me at all."

Nor has the fallout of the shutdown been confined to the United States. Kaitlyn Martin, a Numbered Air Force employee working at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, told The Huffington Post that the staff members who organize emergency travel in her office were furloughed and funds were made "unavailable for travel during the shutdown."

"The problem for us is not that we're out of work," she explained. "Many are still working, though will likely face late paychecks until a resolution is made. The problem is that life goes on, and many of the smaller services which keep things running have been cut off."

Although the Huffington post's articles aren't exactly "non-biased", this article hit home. This link will give you the full article.

(CNN) -- It took virtually no time at all. As soon as the government shutdown took effect at midnight, Americans of all stripes found their lives affected, and for some, their livelihoods threatened.

Federal workers who have already suffered through furloughs suddenly found themselves at home, unsure of their financial futures. Rob Merritt, a defense worker, feared he might have to file for bankruptcy -- his only solace Tuesday coming after learning he'd been spared being furloughed for at least a week, though he very much remains in limbo beyond that, CNN Money reported.

And the ripple effects went far beyond the 800,000 Americans, like Merritt, in line to have their paychecks from the federal government evaporate.

Those who conduct business at federal facilities, museums and national parks lost work. A father of six who runs a business at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island had to lay off 110 employees -- including himself.

And those who rely on government services in myriad ways are out of luck.

Head Start programs providing child care -- and thereby allowing parents to go to work -- could begin to close, CNN affiliate WPIX reported. "This is for our kid's life, and this is our life too," said Katimi Bouare, mother of a 4-year-old in a program subsidized by Head Start funds. "[The government] shutting down is like shutting our kids' life down."

Women and children who count on a supplemental nutrition program have to fear the funds possibly drying up.

An aerospace engineer told CNN he had to halt his research.

And even though the government has vowed to continue paying members of the military, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America warned that the shutdown "does not bode well for top priorities within the veterans' community." If the shutdown lasts longer than 2-3 weeks, the Veterans Administration might not have enough cash to pay benefits in November, the IAVA said.